Bedtime Stories
by Neleothesze
Summary: A collection of one-shots about the possible ancestors of the Bhaalspawn and his/her mother. all can be considered canon. complete


Bedtime Stories, A collection of One-Shots

**Innate Magic**

* * *

Once upon a time there was a brass dragon living in the a deep fortress under the Marching Mountains. A party of young adventurers had found out about his lair and had set off to investigate. When they finally reached the dragon, after battling through three tribes of kobolds and a fiendish group of bandits, they were stunned into silence.

The dragon greeted them warmly as, he said, he had been short of company lately, and would dearly love a tale.  
Upon hearing this, the party's bard, a perky elf by the name of Eydriel gaily launched into a twisted tale of love and adventure. Occasionally she stopped to answer one of the dragon's many questions about the protagonists, the twin halfling brothers Illup the Cowardly and Illop the Brave, who had battled and wooed they way across Faerûn.

For two moons they were the guests of the chatty brass dragon, who they learned was called Xivyandun and who had fallen in love with the equally chatty Eydriel.

One evening, as they were preparing for sleep, Eydriel came face to face with a beautiful elf with coppery hair and shining eyes. Enchanted by her stories and cheerful demeanor, Xivyandun took a form he assumed was more pleasing for the girl. Through the night they lay together and when the adventurers finally left, another moon later, they parted on good terms.

The bard, as it happened, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who took after both his parents and was the happiest, chattiest boy you could ever meet. His mother took him to see his sire, and though the boy chose to stay with his elven parent, every few decades he visited Xivyandun, entertaining and amusing him with tales of the surface. In time, the boy too became a bard.

Unfortunately, he made no secret of his draconic heritage and was seduced by a rather unscrupulous cleric of Tiamat who sought to gain favour with the goddess by birthing a child with a half-dragon. The goddess was not pleased and the mother abandoned the little elfling soon after. The child was found, half-starved, on the steps of the local temple of Ilmater, where they took her in and named her Aliana.

Young Aliana was as cheerful as one could be, when raised by Clerics of the Crying God, but if she had inherited one good thing from her mother, it was her determination. As a child, she took her one possession, a brass locket with a twirling motif, to the most famous diviner in the city and would not leave until the old man took pity on her and used his arcane powers to divine what he could of her heritage.

After being told of her family, for years she wandered the lands until she reached the Marching Mountains, the home of her grandfather. The dragon was surprised to see a lone young traveler fearlessly walk into his lair but, upon hearing her tale, showered her with as much warmth and affection as he could give. Even his family accepted her, somewhat reluctantly. He had found a mate, you see, as unlikely as his first love had been. This one, an especially vain red dragon named Ylexthresze, grew quite possessive of the young elf, although she often treated Aliana as a favored pet rather than a person. Under the tutelage of Ylexthresze, Aliana grew into a powerful sorceress, though her moral compass undoubtedly suffered.

In her second century, Aliana was bade by her adopted grandmother to undertake a rite of passage. Bowing to her desires, Aliana set off to acquire the Tome of Erthelis Min from the witches of Rashemen. In her journey, she encountered a budding cult of Bhaalites. The philosophy of the Bhaalites called to her and, after the teachings of Ylexthresze on ruthlessness, murder was more appealing than appalling.

In due time she brought back the Tome of Erthelis Min. This time though, she did not linger in the halls beneath the Marching Mountains. She hurried to the side of the Bhaalites and was accepted as a faithful worshiper. Her fervor and devotion were noticed by Bhaal himself and when he walked the land as a mortal, he sought her out, his faithful servant, and laid with her.

A child was born of their union, a beautiful thing with the sparkling eyes of her great-grandfather and the fey features of her mother. A hundred times was Aliana tempted to run away with her little girl, hide her in her grandfather's lair and forget about the essence that infused her. And a hundred times she reminded herself of her duty and stayed.

When the Harpers came, cold and unforgiving, she set her own pendant around her daughter's neck and rushed to defend the shrine. Many fell under Gorion's spells but one baby did not. Three times he shot her with a death spell and three times did the spell fizzle and fail. So Gorion carefully advanced on the girl and took her into his arms. She was a small thing, elven by appearance, wearing two necklaces around her chubby neck. The first was made of braided string passed through a scrap of parchment, while the second was a brass locket.

On the first necklace a single word - her name, perhaps - was written. Inside the locket, on a old, folded parchment were the words 'From Xivyandun to his Eydriel, may your smiles never dim, your stories never end, your harp enchant your people, your voice soothe your enemies and your heart hold my love. Keep this locket for our son. So long as it is worn by one of my blood it will protect them against harm.'

Touched by such heartfelt words and such devotion, unexpected in this den of evil, Gorion carefully picked up the babe and left the fighting to the others.


End file.
